Serving as Canada's premier female-led-melodic-death-metal-core group (you still here?), The Agonist return with sophomore effort 'Lullabies For The Dormant Mind' after 2007's promising 'Once Only Imagined'. There's more of the same here; Alissa White-Gluz is still by far the most striking component of the band, with her Angela Gossow-cum-Simone Simons growl-cum-warble a constant delight.

    Musically, the group are still blighted by the occasional unnecessary symphonic interjection, but generally things go along swimmingly and rarely let up in pace and aggression. The curious addition of an a cappella rendition of 'Swan Lake' makes a perfect foil for more crushing numbers such as 'The Sentinent', and though the Montreal troupe are far from groundbreaking in their makeup, they certainly know how to write a good tune or two.

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